Spinning-top.



Patented 901.15, l90l.

E. R. MCCALL.

SPINNING TOP.

(Application filed Mar. 2, 1901.)

(No Model.)

Inventor Witnesses. W

mi Mourns Firms co, PHOTO-UTNO" WASHINDTON, n. c.

Attorney.

lNrrnn STATES FFIG.

ATEN

EDWIN R. MCOALL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF i TO EDWIN J. RICH, OF SAME PLACE.

SPINNING-TOP.

SPEGIFICATIDN forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,613, dated October 15, 1901.

Application filed March 2, 1901.

To ctZZ whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN R. MCCALL, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spinning-Tops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to provide a simple and improved construction for spinning-tops embodying generallya topbody, a spindle, and a suitable handle supported upon the latter, whereby the top may be conveniently held while being set in motion; and as afurther object of myinvention I provide such an arrangement of the parts that they may be readily assembled to form an attractive and desirable toy.

To these and other ends myinvention consists of certain improvements in construction and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a top constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof.

Similar reference-numerals in the figures indicate similar parts.

In the present instance my device consists of a body 1, provided upon its lower side with a spinning-point 2. Arranged upon the upper side of the body is a spindle 3, and while the latter might be formed integral with the top-body I prefer to construct it of a separate piece, as I am enabled to obtain greater strength with a spindle of smaller diameter. In attaching the latter I provide an aperture or drill-hole in the top of the body adapted to receive the lower end 4 of the spindle, which latter is formed slightly smaller in diameter than the upper end, providing ashoulder 5, the purpose of which will be further described.

A handle 'i is carried loosely upon the spindle, so that the latter may revolve freely 50 therein, and it is prevented from removal from the spindle by a screw 8 or similar fas- Serial No. 49,574. (No model.)

tening device passed through the upper por' tion of the handle and engaging the upper end of the spindle. This fastening device is arranged below the top of the handle, in which is provided an aperture 9, adapted after the parts are united to be closed by a cap 10, and the upper end of the latter is provided with a spinning-point 11, upon which the top may be revolved when it is desired to operate itin an inverted position. A buffer 12 in the form of a small piece of rubberorother elastic material is secured in the lower side of the cap 10 and adapted particularly to receive the weight of the top-body on the head of the screw 8 when the device is operated in the inverted position. This elastic packing not only affords a frictional engagement between the parts which will cause them to revolve together, but if the top is spun in the in verted position upon a slightly-roughened surface the vibration will be greatly reduced,

so that the time which the device is capable of operating will not be materially lessened.

In the lower portion of the handle I provide an aperture 14, and in the portion of the spindle 5 extending through said aperture I provide a small perforation 15, adapted to receive one end of an operating-cord 16. The latter is wound upon the spindle, as shown, and to spin the top the operator rapidly withdraws the cord, causing the body 1 to be re volved, and the end of the cord being released from the fingers while the top is still being supported by the handle it will be rewound upon the spindle in the opposite direction, ready for the successive operation, as will be understood.

The upper portion of the handle is curved inwardly at 17 above the aperture 14, forming the flaring upper edge 18, thereby providing an annular depression, adapted to be conveniently grasped by the fingers, as illus* trated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. It will be noticed that the diameter of the screw 8 or 5 similar metallic fastening device is considerably less than that of the spindle, so that the riction between it and the handle when the top is being set in motion is comparatively slight.

The various parts of the top I have described are adapted to be produced in quanloo tities and may be assembled by unskilled operators. By providing a separate attachment whereby the handle may be secured to the spindle after the latter is arranged in the body is found to be an advantageous con struction, as the spindles may be glued into the body without the liability of the handle being also glued either to the body or spindle, and the shoulder 5 on the latter insures the spindle being properly positioned irrespective of the depth of the aperture.

Tops constructed in accordance with my invention present a neat appearance and being capable of operation upon either end make particularly attractive toys.

I claim as my invention 1. In a top, the combination with a body provided with a spinning-point and having an aperture in its upper side, and a spindle secured in said aperture having a shoulder adapted to engage the upper side of the body,

of a handle surrounding the spindle having the transverse aperture and provided with the recess in its top, the fastening device passing through the handle and pivotallysecuring it to the spindle, the cap on the handle and an operating-cord attached to the spindle within the aperture in the handle.

2. In a top, the combination with a body portion provided with a spinning-point and having a spindle extending from the opposite side, and a handle journaled on the spindle having the transverse aperture and provided in its top with a recess, of a securingpin having the head lying in the recess and its end engaging the spindle to prevent the removal of the handle, a pointed cap closing the recess and secured to the handle, an elasshoulder adapted to engage the top of the body, and a handle loosely journaled on the spindle having the transverse aperture, and the annular depression located between the latter and the upper end of the handle and also having a recess in said end, of a securing-pin engaging the spindle and having its head lying in the recess, the pointed cap secured in the recess, and the elastic bufier arranged between the cap and the head, of the securing-pin, and the operating-cord attached to the spindle Within the aperture in the handle.

4. In a top, the combination with the body having the pointed end, and the spindle secured thereto, of the handle provided with the transverse aperture, the perforation below and the recess at the upper side of the aperture adapted to receive the upper end of the spindle, the recess in the top and the smaller perforation between the recesses, the headed pin passing through the small perforation and engaging the spindle, and the cap piece covering the top recess in the handle.

EDWIN R. McCAL-L.

Witnesses:

G. WILLARD RICH, ELIZABETH J. PERRY. 

